Skip to content

Fish, Italy

Ligurian sea bass with olives and potatoes

Ligurian sea bass is an oven baked fish cooked on a bed of thinly sliced potatoes, with black olives, pine nuts and white wine. It serves 4, takes 55 minutes and is easy to make for about €5.20 per person. The key is slicing the potatoes very thin so they cook through at the same pace as the fish.

Off to Liguria with oven baked sea bass on a bed of potatoes, olives, pine nuts and a splash of white wine.

Ligurian sea bass with olives and potatoes
Total time
55 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€5.20
Calories per person
570 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer

This dish smells like the south the moment it comes out of the oven. The potatoes soak up the fish juices, white wine and olive oil while they bake, the black olives bring a salty edge and the toasted pine nuts add a bit of crunch. The skin side of the bass turns crisp while the flesh underneath stays tender and moist.

It works as a weeknight dinner you don't have to hover over, since everything cooks in one dish without much watching. It also suits casual entertaining, you can bring the baking dish straight to the table. For younger kids, check the fillets for small bones before serving.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Sea bass fillets 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 800 g
  • Thyme 4 sprigs
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Pantry

  • Black olivesoften in the pantry 100 g
  • Pine nutsoften in the pantry 30 g
  • White wineoften in the pantry 15 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish, Tree nuts

The step by step recipe

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Slice the potatoes thinly.

    Run the potatoes through a mandoline at 2 mm, they'll cook in 20 minutes with no need to parboil them.

  2. Arrange them in an oiled baking dish with the garlic, thyme, salt and white wine.

    Toss the slices by hand with the oil and salt so every slice gets coated.

  3. Bake the potatoes. 20 min

    The potatoes should start to soften before you add the fish, otherwise they'll stay too firm.

  4. Lay the sea bass fillets, olives and pine nuts on top of the potatoes.

    Place the fillets skin side up and drizzle with oil, the skin crisps up nicely.

  5. Return to the oven until the fish is cooked through. 15 min

    Serve straight from the baking dish, the potatoes will have soaked up the juices from the fish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick waxy potatoes, they hold their shape in the oven instead of turning mushy.
  • Check the fish with the tip of a knife, the flesh should flake easily and stay just barely translucent at the center right before you pull the dish out.
  • Baste the potatoes with the pan juices halfway through if the edges of the dish start to look dry.

The variations

  • Swap the sea bass for cod or sea bream, the cooking time stays about the same depending on the thickness of the fillets.
  • For a fish free version, replace the bass with grilled eggplant slices laid over the potatoes for the last 15 minutes.
  • Add halved cherry tomatoes with the olives for a brighter, slightly tangier version.

What to serve it with

  • A lemony arugula salad
  • Grilled country bread
  • A glass of the same white wine

Storage

Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. This dish doesn't freeze well, both the fish and the potatoes lose their texture once thawed. Reheat gently in the oven rather than the microwave to keep the potatoes from turning soggy.

Questions about this dish

Do you need to peel the potatoes?

Yes, for this recipe the potatoes are peeled before slicing. The skin would stop the slices from cooking evenly alongside the fish.

Can you prep the potatoes ahead of time?

You can slice the potatoes a few hours ahead and keep them in cold water in the fridge. Drain and pat them dry well before arranging them in the dish.

What white wine should you use for cooking?

A simple dry white wine works fine, the same one you plan to serve at the table is a safe choice. Avoid sweeter wines, they'll throw off the balance of the dish.

Can you swap out the pine nuts?

Lightly toasted sliced almonds make a close substitute. Keep in mind both are tree nuts, so this doesn't help with nut allergies.

How long does it take to make a Ligurian sea bass with olives and potatoes?

Count 55 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Ligurian sea bass with olives and potatoes?

About 570 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Ligurian sea bass with olives and potatoes cost?

About €5.20 per serving, or €20.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, tree nuts. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Italian cuisine

See all

Olive recipes

See all